E3 2011: Lord of the Rings Online's Rise of Isengard expansion will eventually be sold from in-game cash shop

When Turbine announced their pre-order deals for Lord of the Rings Online's upcoming expansion, Rise of Isengard, online this week, a portion of the game's community were alarmed that it couldn't be purchased in the game's cash shop. I spoke with Turbine's Content Designer, Robert Hess, this morning to confirm how the expansion will be sold, so that antsy LOTRO fans can decide whether to pull the trigger on the pre-order and nab themselves some glorious new Rohirrim-style riding outfits.

The digital-only expansion will only be available for pre-order on Turbine's official website - not in-game. Turbine only wants to sell things in the cash shop after they are available in the game, so that there's no confusion of, "Hey, I just paid for this, why don't I have it?" in the cash shop. To that end, the Rise of Isengard expansion, set to release September 27, will be availabe in the cash-shop after that date, but will be unavailable for any pre-order bonuses.